Alleged rolling meth lab busted in E. Palestine

June 22, 2014

EAST PALESTINE A traffic stop Friday on West Taggart Street resulted in the arrest of a local man after a rolling meth lab was reportedly found inside the vehicle he was driving.

Devaughn Pastore, 269 E. Main St., was charged with illegal manufacturing of drugs and illegal assembly of chemicals to manufacture drugs after being stopped by Sgt. Don Johnson.

Article Photos

East Palestine police and fire departments, as well as the county sheriff’s office and Columbiana County Drug Task Force responded to the site of a suspected rolling meth lab on West Taggart Street Friday. Chemicals and other materials were removed from this vehicle by the Columbiana County Drug Task Force. The driver was arrested. (Photo courtesy of East Palestine Police Department)

Johnson had received information from the county Sheriff's Office that the vehicle was coming from Lisbon into East Palestine and that occupants were reportedly making meth in the vehicle using a method called a one-pot cook.

According to police, a one-pot cook entails mixing chemicals and other ingredients together in a single container, usually a pop bottle or similar vessel, which they called a "very easy, mobile and dangerous way of manufacturing meth."

In addition to East Palestine police, members of the East Palestine fire department and a sheriff's deputy were on the scene, while members of the Columbiana County Drug Task Force responded and handled the hazardous details of defusing the chemicals, according to East Palestine Chief Kevin Dickey.

The chemicals and other ingredients used in manufacturing meth can easily result in a flash fire that will release toxic chemicals in the air if not properly handled, Dickey explained.

"All officers, agents and firefighters did an outstanding job in bringing this incident to a safe conclusion, and I commend each of them for a job well done," Dickey said, adding, "This latest incident demonstrated that the drug problem is not limited to a single municipality, township or county. This arrest is an example of effective teamwork between law enforcement agencies and underscored the importance of multi-agency collaboration in combating drug activity."

The case remains under investigation, with additional charges possible.